Day 7: Big Brutus
Day 7 of the Riding Vintage cross-country ride carried the 1933 Harley-Davidson VL and 1934 Harley-Davidson VLD out of Springfield, briefly onto Route 66, across the Kansas border, and west to Big Brutus, Parsons, and El Dorado State Park.
Day 7 Ride Stats
- Date: September 25, 2015
- Start: Springfield, Missouri / Route 66-area KOA campground
- Finish: El Dorado State Park, Kansas
- Distance: about 250 miles
- Route: Springfield, Missouri, briefly on Route 66, across the Kansas border to Big Brutus, Parsons, and El Dorado State Park
- Motorcycles: 1933 Harley-Davidson VL and 1934 Harley-Davidson VLD
- Gas added: 5.196 gallons total
- Oil added: 1 quart total
- Roadside issues: none noted
Day 7 Ride Journal
On our way out of Springfield, we were able to spend a short time on the famous Route 66. Now I can finally say that I’ve ridden “the Mother Road.” I just won’t mention that my total mileage was somewhere in the 10-mile range. After exiting off of Route 66, it was a short ride to the Kansas border. Before leaving Missouri we did find out why they are not the birthplace of aviation...
We rolled into Kansas under blue skies with the temperature creeping up into the low 80s. Perfect weather for putting on some miles.
From the saddle of a motorcycle, Kansas looked very flat, even though we were actually moving slightly uphill as we crossed the state. The elevation change is very gradual, only increasing by about 3000 feet from the eastern border to the western edge. The countryside was mostly grass-covered plains, with a scattering of farms, livestock and oil wells.
Soon after we reached Kansas, we started seeing signs for “Big Brutus.” The signs failed to mention exactly what Big Brutus was, which piqued my curiosity as we veered off the highway in search of answers. Big Brutus turned out to be the world’s largest electric shovel, 16 stories tall with a 90 cubic yard bucket. Used in the 1960s and 70s, Big Brutus removed the top layer of earth to reach coal deposits in strip mines. The self-guided tour allowed access to most of the machine with only the upper sections closed off, so we spent an hour crawling all over that thing like a couple of kids. Currently the museum is raising money for a repaint and with just 900 gallons of Omaha Orange and 300 gallons of black needed to coat the outside, I’d suggest bringing some paint and a brush if you stop by.
From Big Brutus it was on to Parsons, Kansas and lunch at the Hickory Hole. We’ve been on the road for a week now and still haven’t stepped inside a single fast food restaurant. We’ve eaten at some great places, using the simple formula of either asking the locals where they like to eat or looking for places with full parking lots. The Hickory Hole definitely did not disappoint, serving beef brisket sandwiches that were the best I’ve ever tasted.
We traveled another 100+ miles after lunch, pulling into El Dorado State Park by mid-afternoon. I was expecting a lot more gold since the name was “El Dorado,” but in the end had to settle for a nice lakeside campsite.
That evening we were joined by some winged insects, but this time they weren’t the biting kind. Instead the campground was filled with the “music” of the cicadas. I took a short video to give an idea of just how loud these little bugs can get (make sure you turn up your speakers for the full effect).
Another 250 miles closer to the Pacific.
